International Applicants

Admission Policy

Because The University of Texas at Austin extends its resources to only a limited number of academically qualified international students, admission is highly competitive. Applications are reviewed on an individual basis and final decisions on admissibility are made only after all factors and credentials related to an applicant's educational background have been considered. The applicant's academic record should indicate excellent preparation for study at the university in the proposed major field. Meeting the minimum requirements may not be sufficient to receive an offer of admission. Due to enrollment pressures, the university may restrict the admission of applicants who are not legal residents of the state of Texas, including international applicants. Admission is offered only to those international applicants who will be seeking the Master in Professional Accounting degree on a full-time basis.

Application Form

A link to the online application is available on the Admissions web page in the Application Materials Checklist. Please note that incomplete applications cannot be evaluated and may encounter processing delays that could affect the admissions decision.

Application Processing Fee

International applicants who have not been previously enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin must pay a nonrefundable processing fee of $125 (U.S. dollars). Do not send cash or personal checks. Only cashier’s checks, bank money orders, bank drafts in U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. banks, or payment by credit card will be accepted. Checks should be made payable to The University of Texas at Austin.

Official Documents and Test Scores

All documents and test scores submitted in support of the application must be official. If transcripts are written in a language other than English, complete and official English translations must be provided together with the original language records. Each transcript should contain a complete record of studies at the institution from which it is issued (i.e., the subjects taken and grades or marks earned in each subject). Please review the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) website for additional instructions regarding transcripts.

All international applicants must submit official test scores for the Internet-based version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System). Only applicants from English-only speaking countries are allowed to waive the test requirement. Please visit the GIAC website for a list of countries which qualify for the waiver. The MPA program will not allow international applicants to waive the TOEFL if they have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree in an English-only speaking country. Please review the Admissions FAQs for additional details. Only test scores mailed directly from the testing agency are considered official. Test scores are received by the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) approximately four to six weeks after a test is taken if The University of Texas at Austin is designated as a score recipient at the time of testing. Tests should be taken well in advance of the appropriate application dates to insure that scores will arrive prior to the deadlines.

International Office

The International Office at The University of Texas at Austin assists foreign students during their stay in the United States and is responsible for issuing immigration documents, providing assistance securing visas, and reviewing requests for renewal and changes in immigration status. The office provides information concerning (but not limited to) housing, orientation, immigration status, general academic considerations, financial aid, health insurance, legal questions, employment, automobile licensing, income tax status, social security regulations, and personal concerns.

Certification of Financial Responsibility

All international applicants who plan to enroll at The University of Texas at Austin in F-1 or J-1 status must submit the Certification of Financial Responsibility even if they are currently living in the United States. Immigration regulations require every international student to verify the availability of financial resources to pay for all educational, living, and other expenses prior to the issuance of Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 for the F-1 or J-1 visa. A self-sponsored student must submit a bank statement proving the availability of sufficient funds for the first year of expenses. A student who is not self-sponsored must have a financial sponsor. This sponsor may be the student's parents, spouse, or other person or institution accepting responsibility for the cost of study at The University of Texas at Austin. The sponsor must sign the financial statement provided in the application form or submit a separate letter guaranteeing payment of all educational, living, and other expenses. Expenses are higher for students who are married and/or have children. Please refer to the Certification of Financial Responsibility form for more details. Questions regarding the completion of the form should be directed to: hotline@austin.utexas.edu.

Please note that the Certification of Financial Responsibility form is used for immigration document processing, not for admissions purposes. Therefore, the form is not required for the completion of an admissions application. However, the International Office will not issue the Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 until a student has been officially admitted and certification of adequate financial resources has been received.

Financial Assistance for International Students

International students should be prepared to finance the entire period of proposed study from personal funds or from funds from other sources, as financial aid is extremely limited. Please see MPA Financial Aid for more information.

Housing

Because on-campus housing is quite limited, most of our international students live off-campus. More information on locating both on- and off-campus housing. International students should also be familiar with rental leasing procedures and questions to ask when looking for off-campus housing. This information can be found on the International Office website.

There are medical clearance requirements for all incoming international students. International students cannot register for classes until they have submitted documentation to University Health Services (UHS) that they have met certain immunization and medical test requirements. Visit the Healthy Horns website to find details about required immunizations and medical tests, download and print the TB and Vaccination History for International Student form, and find instructions for submitting medical clearance information to UHS.

All international students are required to purchase medical insurance at the time of registration, or show proof of comparable insurance and receive a waiver from the International Office.

MPA International Connection

Current international MPA students have volunteered to serve as informational resources to both prospective and new international students through our MPA International Connection (MIC) program. We hope that the volunteer/new student relationship will be mutually beneficial and offer opportunities to form new friendships, share resources, and create professional networking connections. You are welcome to contact MIC members directly with any questions you may have about their experiences in the MPA program.